


Family Legacy

by heavensweetheart



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Feelings, Fix-It-Fic, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Gifts, Growth, Letters, Love, Memories, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:00:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 1,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21963226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heavensweetheart/pseuds/heavensweetheart
Summary: Making a compilation of letters and mementos for his nephew, Fire Lord Zuko, General Iroh couldn't left out the people his nephew held so dear after so much time of fights, grudges, growing, healing, and achieved frienship.
Relationships: Aang & Toph Beifong & Katara & Sokka & Suki & Zuko, Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Aang/Zuko (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Suki & Zuko (Avatar), Suki/Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Zuko, Toph Beifong/Zuko
Comments: 3
Kudos: 122





	1. Iroh

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas to all!! This is my gift to the ATLA fandom! 
> 
> You know how "Legacy of the Fire Nation", the franchise's upcoming scrapbook, is about a compilation of letters from Iroh as a gift for Zuko? If there's something that I don't understand about that book (at least from the glimpses that they have posted) is that, if it is all a gift for Zuko, why only feature the GAang writing to Iroh about how they feel about IROH, but not about ZUKO? How is that a gift for Zuko at all? So I decided to publish this fic changing those letters to the GAang writing to Iroh about what they feel for Zuko, on Iroh's request. It is my gift for Zuko's character, to the fandom, and a little fix-it fic BEFORE the book even comes out.
> 
> And I know I have to update my OTHER Avatar fic but have a little patience with me, guys, I''ve had a few moved days with Christmas preparatives ':-D

Well, my beloved nephew, I’ve spent the last pages telling you about my story in hopes that my accomplishments, losses, and mistakes will serve you as an example in the years to come. You have already lived your fair share of pain and joy in your young life, but one can always learn from their elders, especially if they are family.

Speaking about family, my dear now Fire Lord Zuko, I’ve forgotten to mention some of your most important family members in this writing, the members of the self-titled Team Avatar. I remember that time when they were your enemies – and I know for sure that they remember, too – but their feelings for you have changed with the course of time, and I also know that yours for them have changed as well. I’ve always believed every person that comes to your life is there for a reason, and I think Team Avatar had an important change to make in your life, nephew, and you had a change to make on theirs.

When all of you were still young, reckless and impulsive, a group of strong kids trying to make themselves stronger, one way or the other, the crusades you had between each other were what made each of you achieve that strength that you and the rest of the world is now so proud of. It might have been a… less than ideal motivating system, but it worked effectively!

Of course, you did not only needed strength in battle to confront your enemies, you needed strength in your minds and hearts to confront yourselves and recognize the enemies you didn’t know that you had, and reach for the friends that you didn’t know that you needed. And during all of this growth and discovery, your paths continue to cross in more than one way.

Since this is all a gift to you, my adored nephew, apprentice, leader and family, I could not leave out the people that you have gotten to esteem and love, and that have gotten to esteem and love you back. A gift for myself that I want to achieve by giving this gift to you, is show you how much you are loved, unconditionally and undoubtedly, by all the people that you love too.

At one moment, I will no longer be on this realm, here with you, Zuko...

And I am at peace with it.

Because, even when I am gone, you’ll never lack family.


	2. Aang

_Dear Master Iroh,_

This is SO great, you’re making a surprise gift for Zuko! This is amazing! It’ll be SOOOOOOOOOOO funny to see his face when he receives it!

Anyways, you asked me to write a letter telling you how I feel about Zuko himself, which I’ve been delaying, because sometimes it’s hard to put in words my friendship with Zuko. Sometimes I just wished we, humans, could tell each other the feelings that we hold inside our hearts, but without using words. That way I could tell Zuko what he means to me, how he is my best friend, my teacher, my family… Is it too weird that I call him my hero after all the time he spent chasing me around? Haha!

But he do is my hero.

There has always been something that I’ve admired about him, even when he was my enemy.

Maybe it was his drive. Maybe it was his strength. Maybe it was that he saved me once when we were still at each other’s throats. _Maybe…_

I never said this to him… not out loud at least… but every time I see him or think about him, I remember he’s the bravest person that I know, and possibly will ever know. He was willing to let me end his father for the sake of the world we were trying to protect, he was willing to take down his sister and everything he once held dear in favor of the era of peace and kindness that we were trying to create. He renounced to things no one could ever detach themselves from in favor of the greater good. For that I not only admire him, I respect him, I look up to him, and I could’ve never asked for a better friend or firebending master than him.

You know… even with everything that we went through at the start… I don’t regret meeting Zuko.

I am grateful, because meeting him, fighting against and alongside him, helped me grow in ways I could’ve never known that I needed, or that I even wanted.

I am grateful for it. For him.

_Sincerely,_

_Aang._


	3. Katara

_Dear General Iroh,_

I am so glad you are making this gift for Zuko! It will help him not only to rule, but also keep growing more than what he already has. Which is saying something.

I still remember the time when he was my enemy, but it’s just such a faint memory that I feel it’s barely even there.

Every time I think of Zuko, I can only remember the boy that jumped unguarded to save my life, and for that I’ll be eternally grateful. It’s such a small word compared to what I truly feel, but I hope that if I repeat it enough, I’ll manage to show how much it means to me.

Grateful. Grateful. Grateful.

I am grateful to Zuko in more than one way. He helped me confront the demons that had been haunting inside of me for so many years. And when we were confronting his sister, Azula, he chose my life instead of his and his future ruling, the one that you told him could achieve peace.

I didn’t consider myself worthy of such a gesture that time, and to be truly honest… I still don’t consider myself worthy of it.

The only reason I ever got to have a family and a future like I have now – the future of hope that I always dreamed of – it’s because of Zuko. I want to see towards that future and live it at my best to honor the sacrifice he was ready to make for me. There’s something that he should know, what he told me when we were trapped together at the Crystal Catacombs… the things that he told me he had been through… I have always wished… that it had been me instead of him.

Zuko is… my best friend.

I once held a grudge towards him that made me see white with anger… And for so many years now, he has been a light of hope. A golden fire, like the sun, lighting up a beautiful country that I used to believe intrinsically evil.

I feel blessed that such light has become part of my family. Our family. Me, Aang, Sokka, Toph, Suki. Team Avatar. We are his family.

And Zuko is ours.

_With love,_

_Katara._


	4. Sokka

_Dear Iroh,_

Hey, Tea Uncle! How’s it going?

I’m doing fine, you know, since I’m now a _Councilman_ and all. (Fancy, huh?)

Alright, so this is all a gift for Zuko. Sounds good. I think that, like me, he’s getting tired of receiving Katara’s homemade sweaters as gifts _every year_. (Don’t tell her I said that.)

Well… what can I say about my good friend Fire Lord Zuko?

From time to time, it still feels weird that I am friends with the current Fire Lord. I always used to live with my guard up, preparing our village for an invasion of the Fire Nation.

I always felt I had to be tougher, stronger, because seriously, who was going to take care of the Southern Water Tribe, Katara and Gran Gran, and then Aang and Toph, if it wasn’t me?!

But then Zuko came and joined our group and it was… nice.

I never really had a friend my age, you know. It was kind of cool to finally have someone that wasn’t a kid around.

And we worked together just fine, for once I felt like not everything relied on my shoulders or that I had to keep my eye on the others for our strategies to go as calculated. Zuko was there to make sure we followed the plan, too. And he was always so focused and determined, I was glad to share my battle plans with him. I was flattered that he considered them good.

I have always respected Zuko in combat. While I’m not a bender, I can recognize a true fighter when I see one, and Zuko is one of the truest fighters that I have ever seen… I am honored that I can call him my friend now.

Well, I think that has been enough sentimentalism for the day! Peace out, I! Hope Zuko enjoys his gift.

_Sokka._


	5. Toph

Why would you want me to write a letter, Gramps?

Do you people _still_ don’t understand the _blind_ drill?

You’re lucky that, as a Police Chief, I can boss people around to help me write a letter. ~~No, you’re not getting a bonus for the extra time, Shu.~~ ~~Don’t write that!~~

~~Ugh! Whatever! Let’s keep going with this.~~

So a gift for everyone’s favorite Sparky Lord, and I’m supposed to… what? Make cheesy poetry for him?

Well, he still owes me that life-changing field trip, so don’t expect me to be all that giving at the moment.

Seriously, what’s there to say? I’ve never thought Zuko was all that bad to begin with.

I mean… I know what it feels like to have bad parents that expect you to live a certain way… that is not the way you want to live your own life… that it’s not the person that you are…

Admittedly, I think Zuko had it much worse than me, and he still turned out to be a nice, sweet guy at the end.

Maybe it’s weird that I say this, but I’m proud of him. For overcoming his childhood. Even if it was a little late, he still decided to do the right thing. And maybe it is for him that we actually won the war and lived to tell it.

He’s a great guy, and he’s my friend.

What is there else to say?

Give him a little punch from my part when you see him, would you?

_Head Chief of Republic’s City Police Department,_

_Toph Beifong._

~~Did you write everything down, Shu?~~


	6. Suki

_Dear Iroh,_

I can’t believe Sokka didn’t tell me about this gift that you were making for Zuko! Is it too late to add my letter?

Since this is a set of letters for Zuko, to be brutally honest, I didn’t get the best first impression from him… But it’s hard to remain angry at someone that helped you escape from prison.

Now, after everything we’ve been through, if there’s a person that I respect, it is Zuko. He has become a great leader, and even back in the day when we were still kids on the run and trying to survive the battlefield the world had turned into, he was determined and motivated to help Aang with his firebending and to defeat Fire Lord Ozai. As a leader myself for the Kyoshi Warriors, I recognize and esteem these qualities in those around me.

Certainly, I have always been a little harsh on boys, (ask Sokka if you don’t believe me), but since the first time we met, Zuko proved himself to be a formidable foe. And later on he proved himself to be an even more admirable ally, fighter, ruler, and friend.

I am proud to be his friend.

_Dearly,_

_Suki._


End file.
